- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Milo Books (7 Jan 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1903854288
- ISBN-13: 978-1903854280
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 208,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Colin Blaney was a grafter, a wired-up, beat-down, real-life version of Kerouacs's Dean Moriarty. He set out from the decrepit council flats of east Manchester on a mission - to burn, burn, burn through a world of sex, booze, scams and good times. As a child he burgled warehouses and factories. As a youth he joined the bootboys of Manchester United's Red Army as they rampaged through the country. As an adult he learned to 'dip' with the Scouse pickpocket gangs, to sell drugs to Rastas in Moss Side shebeens, to sneak-thieve from tills and jewellery stores with his mad Collyhurst crew. But Europe offered the greatest lure. 'We started to buy Inter-Rails. These were for students but we knew a girl in the travel office who sorted us out. They cost [pound]60 and you could travel anywhere for four weeks...' Soon he was scoring hash in Amsterdam, peddling Ecstasy in Spain, kiting dodgy credit cards in Belgium, flogging bootleg
t-shirts at rock concerts in France, snatching jewels in Germany. He and his mates served time in half the jails in Continental Europe - and then went back for more. They were on a raucous, riotous, rollercoaster ride - until they finally hit the buffers. Some people live for the day. A grafter lives for the minute. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
t-shirts at rock concerts in France, snatching jewels in Germany. He and his mates served time in half the jails in Continental Europe - and then went back for more. They were on a raucous, riotous, rollercoaster ride - until they finally hit the buffers. Some people live for the day. A grafter lives for the minute. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From the Back Cover
Colin Blaney made small time crime big business. Growing up in Manchester in an Irish Catholic family, he set out on a mission - to burn his way through a world of easy money, scams and good times.
As a child he burgled warehouses and factories before joining Manchester United's Red Army, a hooligan mob rampaging across the country, stealing as he went. As an adult he learned to dip with pickpocket gangs, sell dope, and sneak-thieve from shop tills with his own gang of criminals, without a care for the law.
Europe offered the greatest lure, where serious money could be made, or stolen. From their base in Amsterdam, Blaney's gang, the Wide Awake Firm, spread across the continent, doing anything and everything to make some easy money. From stealing Rolex watches in Switzerland, to selling Ecstasy in Spain, to using dodgy credit cards in Belgium, they enjoyed a prolific twenty-year crime spree that fuelled their hell-raiser lifestyles.
Blaney and his gang served time in half the jails in Europe, bided their time, and then went back for more. They simply didn't care. They were on a riotuous,
non-stop, rollercoaster ride - until they finally came off the tracks. They never saw that the end was in sight, because as any grafter will tell you:
Some people live for the day, a grafter lives for the minute. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
As a child he burgled warehouses and factories before joining Manchester United's Red Army, a hooligan mob rampaging across the country, stealing as he went. As an adult he learned to dip with pickpocket gangs, sell dope, and sneak-thieve from shop tills with his own gang of criminals, without a care for the law.
Europe offered the greatest lure, where serious money could be made, or stolen. From their base in Amsterdam, Blaney's gang, the Wide Awake Firm, spread across the continent, doing anything and everything to make some easy money. From stealing Rolex watches in Switzerland, to selling Ecstasy in Spain, to using dodgy credit cards in Belgium, they enjoyed a prolific twenty-year crime spree that fuelled their hell-raiser lifestyles.
Blaney and his gang served time in half the jails in Europe, bided their time, and then went back for more. They simply didn't care. They were on a riotuous,
non-stop, rollercoaster ride - until they finally came off the tracks. They never saw that the end was in sight, because as any grafter will tell you:
Some people live for the day, a grafter lives for the minute. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Great book,it shows either how naive the europeans were or what a horrible bunch us brits are or were.
The book also goes into detail about the start of the football hooligan,life growing up in an inner city with the ravages of poverty & drugs.
For myself who unfortunately have spent some of my life in foreign prisons i can relate to it but for someone who hasnt it is a real eye opener(my girlfriend read it & was horrified.
I started the book on a long haul flight & had almost finished it when coming in to land so i would say it is a fantastic read.
BUY IT YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
These were blokes that kept alot of us decently clothed for around a fiver an item in the early to mid eighties around old trafford. Its a point of view and whatever you think of the morals or lack of within its pages its no more immoral than banks/energy companies and Governments who rip us off and exploit us , spending our money on making poor people poorer and fighting wars etc. Very different and socially significant this is a brave book with some great tales. It's not a book that attempts to brag , it merely states the facts but there are some brilliant stories. Colin certainly lived the life of a grafter and did a lot of time in prison for it as well , I just thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Brilliant
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I like to read true crime books in my spare time, I am a Home Office employee and deal with issues in the book! I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down, it genuinely is the best book I have ever read. I do hope the Author writes some more. The author paint some priceless pictures, any one who enjoys their crime books just order it!
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